A/N: I'm trying to write this as accurately as possible, but the ongoing Glee episodes make it difficult sometimes, so it may turn completely AU. Sorry if this disappoints anyone.


Hey, hey! You, you! I don't like your girlfriend. No way, no...

Quinn physically cringed and quickly changed stations.

...reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I'd hide. And pray for the thunder, and the rain, to quietly pass me by...

Satisfied with the choice of song, Quinn happily, albeit, nervously drummed her fingers on the steering wheel of the VW Passat. She hadn't been second guessing the purchase she made the day before, but she had been worried about the amount of work it would need.

This is all Puck's fault, she thought to herself. One of these days I'll be able to say no to him. Damn him and his persuasive ways. Must be where Lily gets it from.

She glanced in her rear-view mirror at her daughter, smiling to herself.

Parking her car in the neighbouring parking lot, Quinn stepped out of the driver's seat, placing her sunglasses a top her head to get a better look at the building. A lot of work, indeed, she mused.

As she removed Lily from the child restraints in her backseat, Puck had peeled out the front door, making a bee-line for Quinn, who managed to steady herself with Lily on her hip in time for Puck to grab her around the shoulder and steer her towards the entrance.

"Hey Puck," she said breathlessly. "Excited, are we?" she finished, once she was free of his grip.

"Of course I'm excited! This is exciting stuff! Why aren't you excited?" he questioned with a puzzled look on his face.

"Oh there's definitely excitement here," she retorted, pointing to her stomach. "But there's also anxiety and a bit of nausea too. Oh, and breakfast. Really bad combination," she added with a smile.

Shaking his head, Puck grabbed Quinn's hand, dragging her through the front door. "Listen, it'll be fine. The real-estate lady is here. Go get your keys and we can discuss the up-chucking later. We've got work to do!"

Quinn smiled at Puck's eagerness and placed their daughter down next to him, getting to the business at hand.

Immediately, Quinn sought out the realtor who had been patiently awaiting the blonde's arrival.

"Ms. Bennett," she started, shaking the woman's hand. "I'm really sorry for being late. The little one just couldn't decide on an outfit. She insists on dressing herself these days." Both women glanced over at the child in question who was currently telling her father an elaborate story about something or other. She had chosen to wear a pink sundress, which clashed horribly with the green leggings she was sporting underneath.

The older woman smiled earnestly. "I understand. They're very opinionated at that age. It only gets better," she teased. Both women turned their attentions back to the counter where the realtor had placed the last of what Quinn would need to finally call this place her own. "Here are the keys," she stated, as she placed said keys into Quinn's hand, "and this is all the ownership paperwork from the bank and the previous owners. All signed over. Finally, congratulations." said the realtor as she once again shook Quinn's hand. "It's all yours."

Quinn gripped the freshly cut keys tightly in her palm, a slow smile spreading across her delicate featured face. All mine. She looked up towards the other woman to thank her once again.

"It's been my pleasure, Miss Fabray. Honestly. I have one question though, now that you can't back out of the deal," she jokingly added. "Why a place like this? I know you inherited a lot of money from your grandmother, but why not put it into something that would be more useful and certain. You could lose it all in this place. Many before you have."

Quinn smiled. She knew this question would come up eventually. Drawing in a deep breath, Quinn took a moment to decide how she should answer her.

"There was a time in my life, not too long ago, when I thought I'd lost everything that was important to me. I had lost so many things that, I thought, were what made me who I was. It took me a while to realize that, what I believed to be my biggest mistakes were actually the first right choices I had ever made. Joining the high school Glee club gave me the confidence I needed to be who I knew I was all along. That little angel," she continued, looking over to where Lily was seated on Puck's lap, "would not be here with me today had it not been for that club. She'd be with some happy couple and I'd be no better off than I was before I joined the club. I knew from the day I'd decided to keep Lily that once I turned 21 and came into my inheritance I was going to open a place where people can let go of their inhibitions and be themselves. Find themselves. Like I found myself. With music, and good friends," she finished, smiling warmly at Puck who had been gazing at the blonde, a look of pride on his chiselled face.

Ms. Bennett smiled openly, gazing between the two parents and audibly sighed. "If that isn't a Lifetime Movie moment, I'm not sure what is. I truly do hope things work out for you, my dear. I wouldn't be surprised if they did." She smiled again at Quinn and grabbed her briefcase, exiting the building.

Quinn walked over to where Lily had been seated with Puck and ran her fingers through the little girl's blonde locks. "What do you say we get out of here? I think a celebration is in order, what do you think, baby-girl? Pizza?"

The tiny, oddly dressed, girl jumped off her father's lap and hopped excitedly in front of Quinn. "Yes! Mommy, paw-leese? Can I get one wiff just ch-schh..."

"Cheese?" Quinn finished for her daughter.

"Yes, that!" she nodded enthusiastically.

Quinn smiled, hoisting Lily onto her hip and turning to Puck who was brushing the dirt off his pants. "What about you, daddy?" she asked, winking at her friend. "Pizza sound good to you?"


Seated in the local pizza parlour, Quinn took time to admire her make-shift family. Puck was eating as only Puck can. Inhaling. Lily was seated next to him, picking the cheese off of her pizza and discarding the uneaten remainder on her father's plate, hoping to not be caught by Quinn.

"So, Quinn. Do you realize that when we open this place how cool it's going to make us? Serious rock star status."

The blonde laughed at the thought. "Puck, we're opening a lounge, not a strip-club. Hardly worthy of rock star status. Plus, I'm not sure how immediate the 'cool' factor will be. I'm sure, for the first while, our only customers will be Mr. Schue and Patches."

"Did you know he still barks at Brittany's mom?" Puck interjected.

Quinn shook her head. "Anyway, I just don't want you to get your hopes up. There won't be a 'status' of any sort if we don't get it off the ground."

"No problem there. I'm already planning the Grand Opening," he started, wistfully. "It will be epic. I've already got half the Gleeks coming back into town for that reason alone. Whenever it happens, that is."

"Yeah," Quinn started, picking at her slice of pizza. "Who knows when that'll be?"

Puck took the awkward moment as a cue to change the subject. "So, speaking of Gleeks returning to town, I'm sure you're aware of a certain pint-sized brunette who happens to be in town as we speak?" he finished cautiously, knowing it was a touchy subject for Quinn.

Mouth agape, Quinn glared at Puck, in awe that he would even bring it up. Blinking several times before closing her mouth, the blonde found she was at a loss for words. Puck noticed this as well.

"Look, I'm not sayin' you should be all buddy-buddy with her again. I'm just sayin', maybe it's time to let bygones be bygones. She hasn't seen Lily in three years and from the extended message she left me on my voicemail, not to mention the three others she's left as daily reminders, she wants to see her. And you."

"Well of course. Whatever Rachel wants, right?" she whispered sarcastically. "What about what I want? Which is, by the way, to not ever have to hear the name Rachel Berry!"

"Who is Rashul Berry, mommy?

Quinn sighed, rubbing her temples which pulsated against her fingertips. "No one, sweetie. She's an old friend of daddy's."

"Well, why can't we say her name? Is she a bad person? Like the bad guy in Harry Potter that nobody says his name, 'cept Harry, 'cause he's not afraid like everyone else?"

"No, baby. She's not a bad person. She was actually a really good person, to you especially. You were very little though, so you wouldn't remember her," Quinn explained to her always curious daughter.

"I think I remember her," Lily replied, scrunching her small features together, trying to recall a woman named Rachel Berry from her past. "She used to talk a whole lot. You say I talk a lot, but she talked more," she finished, nodding to herself.

The five year old quickly lost interest in the conversation as she began to build a structure out of uneaten pizza crusts. Puck took this time to regard Quinn once again and try to reason with her.

"Look, before you completely rule it out, just listen to me for a second. Rachel was there for you for more times than not, at least ever since you stopped being a total B-I-T-C-H to her. Don't you think you at least owe it to her to try? Let her see the little girl that she had a hand in raising for two years? Think about it, please? She leaves in three days, so there's still time."

Quinn stared out the front window of the pizza parlour. Time, she thought, apparently there's nothing but time.


***FLASHBACK Five Years Ago – Spring 2010***

Absolutely bored out of her mind, Quinn was absent-mindedly leafing through a copy of People Magazine she had found on the coffee table in the living room of the Berry residence. She was almost amused by the fact that she was sprawled across a couch, in a room, in a house, inhabited by Rachel Berry. It still never ceased to amaze her how things can change so drastically.

The girl in question was leaning over a piece of bristol board, working furiously, several different coloured markers placed neatly in a row beside her. Every once in a while, the petite girl would lift her head, tap her index finger against her chin, and then suddenly delve back into her project, a different coloured marker in her hand.

After several, pain-staking minutes, Quinn grew tired of the quiet, not to mention the magazine, and decided she would take an interest in what the brunette was doing. Whatever that may be.

"Rach, what are you doing? If you're creating another 'The Life of Rachel Berry – Future Broadway Star" flow chart, I'd rather skip it and do something that isn't, ya know, boring," she teased, trying to get a view of what Rachel was creating.

"Quinn, please. As I am sure you are aware, your persistent teasing of my obsessive need to plan out the next 25 years is falling upon deaf ears, so please do not try to distract me from the task at hand. This is not about me."

For once, Quinn thought to herself and softly chuckled.

"Well, I'm bored. And hungry," she pouted.

"You're always hungry," Rachel retorted, eyes not leaving her work.

"I'm pregnant, Berry! And if you do not feed me soon, I swear to all that is holy I will come down on you with the wrath of a pregnant woman unlike anything you've ever experienced in your short, self-centered, life." Quinn meant business. No one messed with her when she was hungry.

Rachel glanced up at the blonde towering over her, and by the look on her face, it was known that Quinn meant business.

"Point made. I was just applying the finishing touches anyway. I've completed my task," she smiled triumphantly.

"And your task was?"

Before Quinn could add any sarcastic remarks to her questioning of the dark-haired girl, Rachel held up between the two of them what looked, to Quinn, to be a chart, of sorts. Quinn opened her mouth to snap at the younger girl about wasting her valuable time needed for nourishment, when she noticed the difference between this chart and the several other's she's seen over the short while of knowing Rachel.

Quinn Fabray – From Birthing to Bikini-Body

Before Quinn could form actual words, instead of the incomprehensible babble that she was spewing now, Rachel guided her to take a seat on the couch.

"Before you start, let me explain this to you. It's a schedule of events leading up to, and including, the birth of your child, as well as the recovery time and much needed exercise regime, once you're ready to shed those extra pounds and return to the body you once had. Now, we'll concentrate on the 'up to and including birth' part, as they're clearly," she stated, glancing at Quinn's ever-growing stomach, "the current, and quickly approaching, situations. I will be attending any and all Lamaze classes with you from here on out. I'm not entirely sure that Noah's mind is in the right place to ensure that you are receiving utmost care and attention an expecting mother requires while preparing for the birth of her first child. That brings us to the birth..."

"Rachel, stop!" Quinn exclaimed, finally able to find words. "What is going on here? What is all of this?"

"It's the 'Quinn Fabray – From.."

"No, I get what it is, but why?" Quinn tried, hoping to get a much shorter answer from the girl.

"Oh... Well. I suppose it's because I wanted to make sure you were aware that there is a plan in place, and therefore you can make an attempt to enjoy your last trimester instead of stressing out about the 'who, what, when, where and why'. I mean, what with you being kicked out of your house and not having a stable environment or any real parental figure to help you through this troubling time, I figured I could ease some of that tension. With the schedule," the brunette finished quietly, clearly feeling awkward. "I'm sorry Quinn. It was stupid of me to assume that you wanted all of this," she stated sadly, waving the board in her hand. "I'll just do what you say you want me to do. No more planning."

Quinn regarded the shorter girl quietly for a moment, trying to take in all of what just happened. Once it all registered in her brain properly, she began to smile, biting her bottom lip to hold back the wave to tears threatening to escape at any moment.

"Rach, that is the single most, sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. A little eccentric, yes. But sweet. Thank you," she said quietly, standing slowly and pulling the pint-sized singer into her for a hug. "What would I ever do without you?"

"Well," Rachel sniffed, obviously not able to hold back her tears, "you'd never be on time, that's for sure."

Quinn genuinely laughed at this.

"Time," she said softly. "This baby isn't going anywhere for another couple months, and I'm fairly certain she is on your schedule, not mine. We have nothing but time."

***END FLASHBACK***


"Mommy, look!"

Quinn was pulled out of her daydream by Lily, who was currently trying to get her attention.

"Oh wow, what is it, sweetie?" she asked, taking in the creation in front of her daughter.

"It's our house, silly! Made entioly of pizza crust! Not all mine, some are daddy's too," the five year old explained, a proud smile on her face.

"That's very nice, Lil'. How's about we head back to our real house, that's not made entirely of pizza crust? It's almost your bedtime."

Quinn watched the pout begin to form on the tiny girl's face. It was always hardest to get Lily home when they were out with Puck.

"What about daddy? It's his bedtime too, right? Can he sleep wiff me?"

"Of course I can," he said, after getting the nod from Quinn. "I'll meet you at the house. I just have to stop off somewhere first. Is that okay with you, kiddo?"

"Yes, daddy, that's okay wiff me," she jumped across the seat and hugged him around his neck before scrambling out of the booth. "Come on, mommy. It's almost bedtime!"

Quinn laughed and grabbed the tiny hand her little girl offered to her. Sliding out of the seat, she smiled at Puck who smiled back before reaching into his pants for his wallet. As he opened the fold, looking to find the bills needed to pay for dinner, what he found along with it was a little piece of paper. Unfolding it, he already knew what secrets it contained.

Rachel's Parents – 555-6784


Sorry for the cliffhanger-ish ending lol... Don't usually do that, but I couldn't help myself lol

Review! (Please?)